Best Charities & Tips for Donating to a Charity

Donate for Children's Education - Linda Wongkee

Looking for a worthy charity can be a difficult, time consuming task. Nobody wants their donation dollars to be wasted, so be a wise donor. This article offers tips for smart donating. Recommendations for top charitable organizations are listed in various sectors, including education, health and childhood poverty.

January 2010 Update – Donations for Earthquake in Haiti

Although Givewell.net has not researched charitable donations in the event of natural disasters, they advise people to direct donations to Partners in Health. This organization is already in operation in Haiti. Their website, www.pih.org is set up to direct funds to the relief effort.

Tips on Donating to a Charity

• Get to know the charity - Research various local and international charities. Find out the organization's locations, programs and mission. Even when donation dollars are designated to a specific project, ultimately the money is part of the whole organization. A charity and donor should be a philosophical match.
• Look for meaningful evidence of impact - Investigate whether the implemented programs are successful. Health programs are the easiest to verify. For example, it is easier to prove that TB medicine reduces the rate of death than proving how a soccer program impacts a child's life. The best charities have evidence to prove the success of their programs.
• Is the Organization Cost effective? - Administration costs should not be excessive, however, this is not the only cost consideration. The actual cost per person or child should be considered. Research for finding this data is easier with such websites as charitynavigator.org and www.givewell.net.
• Is there a plan for growth funds? - Does the charity have long term plans? A good charity has growth plans and direction. In this way, there is insurance that the incoming money stays focused on proven, thought-out programs.
• Get the proper tax receipts and be aware when making online donations. Donors should use the same caution as they would when making online purchases. Verify that the site is secure, look for the word secure or an s in the web address after http:/.

List of Charities Recommended by Givewell

GiveWell is an independent non-profit group that performs in-depth research of charitable organizations. Full results of the evaluations can be found at www.givewell.net

 

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Top International Charities for Quality Healthcare

Village Reach - This organization provides access to health supplies in remote impoverished areas around the world. They are committed to improving the reliability and performance of health systems in rural areas of need. VB currently operates 251 health centres and serves a population of 5.2 million people.
Stop TB - This charity seeks to have a TB-Free world. There goal is to halve the TB caused deaths by the year 2015. This would save 14 million lives through access to better diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TB in developing nations.

Top HIV Awareness and Prevention Charity

Populations Services International - Although, PSI offers diverse aid in developing countries, they are highlighted because they are leaders in HIV prevention in over 60 developing countries. They continually strive to produce measurable results.

Top US Early Childhood Programs Charity

Nurse Family Partnership - Nurse Family Partnership's objective is to provide better health and economic self-sufficiency to low-income first-time parents in the United States. In 2009, with the economic downturn, the services of the NFP have been greater than ever.

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Top International Charity Foundation for Students Education

Pratham - is a large, UNICEF initiated charity that helps children in India. Pratham is committed to raising the enrollment and learning levels of underprivileged children in India. Pratham stands apart from other charities involved in international education because they continually evaluate the success of their programs.
Deciding where to donate can be challenging in a overwhelming sea of charities. Organizations that rate charities, like Charity Navigator and GiveWell, can make donating easier. If a local charity or one not on the list is of interest, do some homework and follow the tips here to ensure that donation dollars are used wisely.
Sources:
www.Givewell.net
www.charitynavigator.org
www.villagereach.org